MK moves to outlaw waving Palestinian flag in ‎Israel ‎

Likud MK Anat Berko on Tuesday introduced a bill ‎to make publicly waving the flags of enemy states or entities, including the Palestinian flag, punishable by up to one year in jail. ‎

The proposal ‎was introduced in the wake of a mass demonstration ‎two weeks ago in Tel Aviv by Israeli Arabs ‎protesting the controversial nation-state law.‎

Some 30,000 people attended the rally, where ‎dozens of Palestinian flags were flown and ‎protesters chanted anti-Israeli slogans, angering many Israelis.

Palestinian flags in the heart of Tel Aviv at the recent rally Gideon Markowicz

Berko said she plans to bring her bill to a ‎preliminary vote once the Knesset's winter session ‎begins on Oct. 14. ‎

It will be introduced as an amendment to existing public order directives in the penal code.

‎"The flag of an enemy entity cannot be allowed to ‎fly in the Israeli public sphere. We can't tolerate that," ‎Berko said.‎

The bill's abstract states that the proposal is ‎‎"rooted in the rule of reciprocity, meaning that ‎those who do not allow flying the Israeli flag in ‎their public domain will not be able to fly ‎their flag in a public gathering in Israel." ‎

Political sources told Israel Hayom that Berko has been ‎guaranteed the government's backing for the bill, and has been told the government will work to ‎expedite the legislative process. ‎